Canon Targets India’s Growing Semiconductor Market with Lithography Equipment and Local Support
The Japanese technology group is in talks with companies behind major Indian chip projects and plans to establish local service centres as new semiconductor fabs and packaging facilities move towards production.
Japanese technology group Canon is looking to deepen its presence in India's emerging semiconductor manufacturing industry, holding discussions with companies behind major chip projects and preparing to establish local service infrastructure as new fabs come online.
Canon India President and CEO Toshiaki Nomura said the company has been in talks with key semiconductor manufacturers involved in projects currently being developed across the country. The company sees an opportunity to supply lithography equipment, an essential part of semiconductor manufacturing used to transfer circuit patterns onto wafers.
Canon's plans go beyond supplying manufacturing equipment. As Indian semiconductor projects move towards production, the company expects to establish service centres capable of providing round-the-clock technical support to chipmakers. Such local support is particularly important for semiconductor fabs, where equipment availability and rapid maintenance can directly affect production output and operating costs.
The move comes as India expands its domestic semiconductor manufacturing base through government-backed investment programmes. Around 12 semiconductor manufacturing projects have been approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, covering wafer fabrication, compound semiconductors and assembly, testing and packaging operations. Major investments include Tata Electronics' planned fab in Dholera, Gujarat, as well as semiconductor packaging projects involving Micron, CG Power-Renesas, Kaynes Semicon and Tata Electronics.
Canon's interest also highlights the growing importance of semiconductor equipment suppliers to India's chip ambitions. Building fabrication and packaging plants requires a supporting network of lithography, deposition, etching, inspection and other equipment providers, alongside local engineering and maintenance capabilities. Other global equipment companies are also strengthening their presence in the country, with ASML recently starting operations in India and linking future expansion to the development of the domestic fabrication industry.
For Canon, India's semiconductor expansion could create a new market for its industrial business beyond its established imaging and printing operations. The company already supplies semiconductor lithography systems and is expanding its technology portfolio in areas including nanoimprint lithography and equipment for advanced back-end processes. Canon has said it expects semiconductor demand to grow over the medium to long term and is targeting annual sales growth of at least 10% across its Industrial Group.
The planned service-centre presence would also represent an important step in developing India's wider semiconductor supply chain. As fabrication capacity increases, attracting equipment suppliers and building local technical support will be necessary to reduce downtime and create a manufacturing ecosystem capable of supporting fabs at commercial scale.
